2013 Mas Essentials

Every year I assess my mas essentials to determine which items worked best.  Since this year I decided to simplify my preparations and just focus on the basics, it was a simple task.

Makeup
For a band like K2K, makeup is extremely important even on Monday.  I stuck to who I was comfortable with and made my appointments with Makeda from Shades of Sugar.  I was very happy with her results on both days and it held up well..  This year, I also used the No Sweat but along with the milk of magnesia and Smashbox's anti shine.  I assumed that my pores just simply closed up because there was no shine at all...



Boots
Although I decided to cut back my spending overall, I wanted to purchase a pair of really comfortable boots.  Consequently, I purchased a Clarks boots for about US$100 on Amazon and they were worth it.  I usually wear a size 7 but I got a 7.5. To my relief, it fit really well even with the insoles and toe protectors.  Throughout the day I felt no discomfort and when I got home, although my toes were a little swollen, I had no serious foot pain.  The pain free day could also be atrributed to a short time actually moving on the road and a lot more time just standing and waiting near the savannah. On Monday, I opted to wear a Clarks sandals that didn't give me the toe constriction and were extremely comfortable for the road and made it easier for Tuesday.  I didn't decorate these boots simply because I love them too much and I want to wear them again...

Okay, just ignore the other stuff and focus on the boots :)

Stockings
I wanted to try something different this year and go with fishnet stockings...well that was me and everybody else.  I got a pair at Micles for TT$99.  They fit well and I liked that they were thick and therefore didn't rip easily.  The thing about K2K costumes is that you don't have to worry about any beads snagging your stockings so I can wear these again...

Nails
I know that nails are not a priority but with K2K, these details matter and it's just nice to have pretty nails.  Thanks to Solange from Sole Nails, I did a mix of gel polish and minx which held up for 2 weeks.  You should definitely check her out...

"preppy" Minx and black gel polish

Reuse and Recycle
I used a cross body bag that I already owned which matched fine and held all of my necessities.  The same went for my earrings.  I wear my hair in a ponytail everyday, so I just stuck to that; no fuss...which was the order of Carnival 2013...

Trini Carnival Wrap Up

Although I only played one day of mas, I have to include a review of my carnival essentials:

Stockings

After a reader of the blog suggested the Peavy tights, I decided to purchase a pair from Carnival Kicks. I wasn't too sure about the shades, but I think that the Pecan shade in the Peavy is equivalent to the Salmon in the Micles. I paid US$12.99 which is a lot for tights, but Farrah from CK promised that it would be worth it since the denier was higher making it "run resistant". When I got home on Tuesday, there was absolutely no runs in the tights, and can even be worn again. A definite thumbs up for Peavey!

Boots

I am hoping that this was a bad batch of Carnival Kicks' jump up metallics because the boots were ruined while trying them on. Most of the metallic of the pewter boots flaked off before I even wore them, and by the time I got them on, there was nothing on the back. I know someone who got the gold and experienced the same problem. However, the problem only seems to be with the metallic, and the suede ones are fine.

Makeup

I am glad that I decided to stick with Makeda from Shades of Sugar because this was her best work yet. I finally got there early for once! I now see why masqueraders do their makeup early-it's less hassle and you get enough time to meet up with your band. As I said before, this was my fave costume ever and the make up completed the look. I also used the "No Sweat", which is designed to wear under costume make up and wigs. I really like the product, and it works better than the milk of magnesia. I will be using it again for sure.

Sling Bag

I already featured my Bacchanal Divaz bag in a previous post. The bag went well with the costume and held all of my essentials with lots of extra space.

I will now be prepping for Carnival in Ja, so stay tuned for updates and reviews....

Carnival Next Year?????

After a severe case of Carnival tabanca, I've had time to reflect on my 2011 Trinidad carnival experience to see what I can do better for May in Ja or next year in T&T...

Probably I should lose weight; people with flat tummies and no love handles, don't have to worry about corsets, or costumes that cover up their front area which limit my choices. But I really did love my costume, whether the wholepiece option , bikini or monokini. I would have selected the costume even if I were 50lbs lighter.

But the problem with the wholepiece is that it's really hard to maneuver when you have to pee...so if I don't lose weight (most likely I won't), then a corset is a better option.

Again, what's with me and these damn belts? I thought I learned my lesson about these hanging gems but even without them, the belt still ripped my tights....Probably the width of the belt was the problem so what do I do....forget the belt? sigh

Talking about tights; Micles tights are always reliable and reasonably priced. I tried the toeless which is a better option than the footless. Because of the wholepiece, I selected the regular waist instead of the low waist which comes in the "Silky" brand. Although Micles claims that the "Silky" and "Micles" brand are the same, I saw a difference in the salmon shade because I wore "Micles" toeless and Monday and "Silky" regular on Tuesday and saw a clear difference with the "Silky" having a "white" tinge that I hate. I will NEVER go stockings free so Micles please get these shades right next year! I am considering trying the Peavy brand that are worn by the Hooters girls but there's too much trial and error with a brand I've never worn and will have to purchase online. Check out the Hotlegsusa website for pics.

The Shoekeepers boots were so uncomfortable this year! My Picadilly boots I bought in 2009 were so nice with a nice cushy sole that I did not even consider another brand this year. The boots were cute and I loved the bronze colour but after a couple hours, even with the insoles couldn't save them, so you just lost a customer Shoekeepers. I'm now going to experiment with Carnival Kicks for Ja carnival. I'll let you know how those go.

The Monday wear situation still sucks for me. It is now an indisputable fact that costumes cannot hold up for 2 days, so bandleaders don't even try and convince me to wear a part of my costume on Monday with shorts. I don't understand why other bands that cost the same or less than Bliss offered some kind of Monday wear. Even when I played with Spice, I didn't get why we had to pay an additional cost for the Spice tshirt. However, I saw persons in really creative outfits on Monday. Maybe I'll get something customized for my Monday wear next year.

I LOVED my makeup on both days! It was a great decision to have make up done on Monday and Tuesday. I kept asking myself, why hadn't I done this in the past???? I would never go without professional makeup on both days...EVER...I mean my Monday pics are so fab because of the make up so big up to Makeda from Shades of Sugar!

Weave, weave, weave!....A lot of people kept asking me why I wanted hair extensions/weave; even the sales rep at Hair it Is, was reluctant to sell me hair. Yes, my hair is medium length but I wanted it LONGER! I also wanted a different look. I had to eventually settle for a 14 inch because it was hard to get human hair in a longer length. The hairdresser who put it in suggested that I try the actual ponytail extension in the future which will be easier to do myself and I will get it in longer lengths. I think I'm going to look for a 20 inch ponytail for Ja. Ponytails can be chic, require little maintanance, and are practical for Carnival. There is no worry about sweating out your hairstyle or water damage (assuming you got bought that good hair).

I've already mentioned that I'm not sure who I'll be playing mas with next year. I do get caught up in the hype over the big bands during the launch season and love the bougie nature of the all inclusive bands, but I need to remember that my love has always been for the MAS, to parade in a lovely costume, and have a great time with my friends. Lunch stops, premium drinks, toilets and monday wear were never priorities. I'm now looking for a small band with a great FL or individual costume where I'll be treated as a masquerader and not just a customer....